Search for the Truth
by lovejag
Summary: Cath and the gang are out to search for a murderer. Completed!
1. Cath's Journey& prologue

"The Search for Truth" prologue  
  
By Rita Widmer  
  
Rating: I'm going to rate it higher than probably is needed at PG-13.  
  
Disclaimer: The characters and story plots of CSI don't belong to me. They belong to CBS, and the gang.  
  
Feedback: Love it! It keeps me writing.   
  
Author's Note: The original idea for this story in part is from Mac. Thanks Mac for the wonderful idea. You got my brainwaves going. I have no idea if the address is real. If it isn't live with it. Thanks to Laeta for betaing.  
  
Spoilers: Not in this part, but there will be in future parts.  
  
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'Pain! Nope that's not good enough. Excruciating pain. Close, but no. Thinking about my pain is not going to get me anywhere.  
  
  
  
So lets move on to something else. Hmm. Over on that wall, I can see my blood spatter from where I fell against it. What's the use of studying that when I won't even be working this case? Plus, I know what happened; the blood spatter won't tell me anything new.   
  
Work. Well, there's no question in my mind that I won't be making it to work tonight. Check the clock. Too early for anyone to miss me yet, and for sure not enough time to get there on time.  
  
Of course, when I think of work I have to think of him. There's not one without the other in my mind. He's probably sitting in his office right now looking over all the new and continuing cases. Or he might be sitting there talking to one of his spiders and feeding them.   
  
I'm really overanalyzing this whole thing. It must be the CSI in me. I put myself in this mess, and now I need to find a way out. There is only one solution to this whole problem.   
  
To call Grissom! What did you think I was going to say? Oh great, I'm talking to myself like there's a second person here.   
  
As long as I'm analyzing everything, what do I need to accomplish my goal? First, a phone. My phone is in my purse, which lies on the other side of the room. That does look kind of far away.   
  
There must be something closer. Look around the room again. Of course, when I need a telephone there's not any near. All right, second thing I need. I need the energy to get over to my cell phone. Hopefully the third on my list won't be a new battery.   
  
Let's try standing up. Walking has always been a more preferable way to get around in my opinion than crawling. If I thought excruciating pain wasn't enough to describe my health then for sure it doesn't describe it now.   
  
Standing up won't do. So I will have to crawl like a baby over. Party time! I managed to get to my purse. Once you set your mind to do something you can do it.   
  
Got my phone in hand, and I hit all the right buttons. Now third thing on my list is I need him to be there in his office. I don't have time for waiting for his pager or to call his cell phone.'   
  
Ring....ring...ring.  
  
"Grissom."   
  
"Grissom, you've got yourself a new case to handle." 'Well I couldn't think of anything better to say on such short notice.'   
  
"Cath, where are you? Why aren't you at work?"   
  
"Not important right now. I need any CSI crew you can arrange and it might help to send over an ambulance. I'm at 900 University Ave. Apartment 101. I recommend doing some hurrying."   
  
"What happened? Why are you there?"   
  
"Gil!!! I've been hurt! So before I give into the nice peaceful darkness I thought I would let somebody know I'm here. So hurry up."   
  
'He's still babbling into the phone. Oh well, can't do anything more about it. Here I come darkness where all the pain goes bye bye. So here I say good-bye to the real world and escape into the unknown.'  
  
TBC.... 


	2. Gil's Journey

"Search for the Truth" part 1 By Rita Widmer   
  
All pertinent information is in the prologue. Enjoy and thank you for all the feedback!   
  
***********************************************************************   
  
'Concentrate, Gil, concentrate! You need to make a right at the next stoplight then a left immediately after that.   
  
This is probably not a good idea! Here I am going faster then I ever have gone in a car before. 70...too slow...75...not fast enough....80. Was that a policeman I just passed? It better not be, because this car is not going to stop until I've reached Catherine. So anyone out there in my way better watch out or be ready for a chase down the streets of Las Vegas.   
  
No time to fret about if this is a good idea or not. Catherine is injured, and she needs my help.   
  
Catherine is injured!! Why didn't I call an ambulance before I left? She could be seriously injured or even...nope can't think that way. She is going to be fine, and she'll be waiting there with a slight smile on her face laughing at my being so frantic.   
  
But what if she isn't? You've got your cell phone with you. Grab it and call 911.   
  
You've got to stay calm while you talk to the operator. It is just a phone call to inform them that someone needs help.   
  
Who do I think I'm kidding? This is not just any person out there who just happened to call my number. This is Catherine, we're talking about here. The woman that you....oh no, now's not the time to dive into those feelings. Now repeat after yourself very slowly She...is...your... best... friend and fellow coworker.   
  
Now that you've got the operator on the line tell her all that you know. She's telling me to calm down. Do I really sound that frantic to her?   
  
She's probably just use to having frantic people on the phone, and it comes as ritual to ask for the person to calm down. That's settled. She's going to get an ambulance and send over a policeman to meet me there.   
  
This drive is taking way too long. Finally, I'm here!!   
  
My heart stops for a moment as I look at the scene in front of me. There's police cars around the front, and as I sit frozen in my seat I can see Jim Brass walking towards me. This can't be good from the look on his face.  
  
He tries to give me a quick smile for some kind of reassurance, but it only makes my heart race faster. She can't be....no she's going to be all right. She's got to be.   
  
I don't even take the time to talk to Brass as I get out of the car. I have to get to her, and there's no time for talk. I won't believe him anyways until I see her for myself. I slowly enter the apartment.   
  
Then I see her laying there, with medics surrounding her. Breathe, they wouldn't be here if she wasn't still here on Earth with you still.   
  
I must have been staring at her for awhile when I feel Brass walk up behind me.'  
  
"She's alive for now. She was shot twice in the chest and once in the arm. They are not holding out much hope, but if I know Catherine as well as I think I do she's a fighter. If she has any say in her survival she'll stay here with you."   
  
"How did you get here so fast?" asked Gil as he went on CSI mode.   
  
"The landlady heard the shots, and called the police. Warrick and Nick are on their way over as we speak to handle the investigation. Sara will deal with the apparent suicide over at Circus, Circus."   
  
"Did the landlady see the shooter?"   
  
"No, but this isn't your case, Gil. It looks they are taking her now. Go be with her, she's going to need you."   
  
'I'm ready to protest. I want to find her shooter, but the appeal to go with her is drawing me away from the scene. Somehow I get permission to go with them in the ambulance. As I am about to follow them in I see Warrick and Nick get out of the Tahoe. From their expressions I know they hadn't been told who was the victim. I step in with only a nod towards them.   
  
My mind wanders as I watch her laying there in front of me. Somehow she looks so peaceful though her body must be working hard to heal itself and fight the pain it is going through.   
  
I am so caught up in my emotions at seeing her this way that I almost miss the ringing that fills the ambulance, but when I do my heart stops beating again.   
  
TBC... 


	3. Hunt for Answers

"Search for the Truth" part 2   
  
By Rita Widmer   
  
All important info is in the prologue. Thanks for all feedback!   
  
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"Hey Brass, what's going on? I just saw Grissom leave with the ambulance," said Warrick walking up to the older man, where he stood by the door.   
  
"Grissom is staying at the victim's side. He wants to get as much information about and from the victim as possible. The victim was shot three times: twice in the chest and once in the arm," answered Brass wanting to leave out the victim's name until after they done apartment.   
  
Warrick turned to look at Nick. Something did not seem right about the whole scene. One look at Brass told him that he was not going to get any more information from him.   
  
"Any witnesses?" asked Warrick.   
  
"The landlady had heard the shots from her room. She's a little hysterical after walking in on the crime scene and seeing the victim. Nick, why don't I take you to the landlady, and Warrick check out the apartment."   
  
Warrick shook his head as he walked into the building. He knew he was not being told the whole story about the scene. He figured if it was important for him to know he would have been told.   
  
Walking into the apartment, he noticed blood spatter on two of the walls, and then on the floor to his left was a blood spot in the rug. Actually that was only the beginning of the blood. From one blood spatter was a line leading to the final resting spot were the most significant blood spatter areas.   
  
He started out where her purse lay so he could follow her path in the room. The objects of the purse were scattered all over the floor near the blood spot. The phone lay a little distance away from that like it had been set aside.   
  
After dusting and checking for other evidence on the table where her purse lay he moved over to the far wall where he assumed she went first. Dodged into the wall were two bullets. There was not much gun residue so he figured she was further away from the wall, and may have fallen against it or was pushed back by the attacker.   
  
The height of the blood spatter proved that she must have been pushed. She would have to be extremely tall to fall to the ground with her chest and arms that high up. Gathering a blood sample and taking photographs, he then moved onto the next spot.   
  
Here another bullet was dodged into the wall. This time though blood spatter was much closer to ground like she had fallen back, but the bullet was lying higher then it.   
  
'Maybe she had tried to go after the guy when he had turned his back to her trying to escape. Her fight to get to the purse is proof enough that she doesn't easily give up.'   
  
He looked at the blood spatter closer and saw hand streaks in it where she had pushed herself slightly up from the ground. He followed the line of blood spots back to where her purse lay.   
  
Saving the phone for last he went through all the other objects that had fallen out of the purse. Finding a wallet, he opened it up to find the last person he expected to see, Catherine Willows.   
  
He picked up the phone, and it was confirmed. It was Catherine's phone, and the last number called was to Grissom at the office.   
  
'No wonder he was able to beat us here.'   
  
Anger was rising in him as he stood staring at the evidence that his friend was the victim. Without thinking, he ran out of the building looking for Brass. Finally finding him, Warrick stood in Brass' space as he confronted him.   
  
"Why didn't you tell me?"   
  
**************************************   
  
Gil looked up at the medic's as they prepared to revive her. Something told him she needed more encouragement then just their machines. He leaned down so his mouth was right near her ear. He hoped that she could hear him as he tried to bring her back to him.   
  
"Come on, Catherine, fight. We need you here on Earth. Lindsey loves you, and she needs her mother. She's already lost her father, she can't loose you too."   
  
Still no sign of her coming back to him so he went on. "Not only does Lindsey need you, but so do I. You're the yin to my yang, you're my other half, and I don't know how to survive life without you in and out of work."   
  
Gil moved away, and put his head in his hands as he tried to keep his feeling under control in front of the medics who were still trying to revive her. As they all were about to give up hope, the beeping stopped and there was again a heartbeat in Catherine, though very slow.   
  
He could feel his heart beating again, and at once leaned over to whisper in her ear again. All he could think of to say was a simple, "Thank you." Then he prepared himself for a hellish ride to the hospital.   
  
*************************************   
  
Nick felt the need to step in between Brass and Warrick. He turned to Warrick and asked him what didn't Brass tell them.   
  
Warrick never looked at Nick as he answered his question. "He never told us the victim was Catherine."   
  
It was Nick's turn icy eyes upon Brass, but Brass only stepped away. Not letting either get to him. "If I had told you before you went to analyze the apartment your emotions would have taken over all rationale. I wanted you to go in there like it was just any other crime scene. Nick, lets go find out what the landlady was able to find out about renter. Warrick get back to the apartment, and finish going over the area."   
  
Nick and Brass watched as Warrick walked back into the apartment. They followed a moment later to find the landlady. They met up with her in her office. She now looked more excited as she had information that could help them solve their case.   
  
"Here's all the information I gathered on the renter before allowing him in."   
  
"Thank you, ma'am," answered Brass as he started to shift through the papers. The name of the renter shocked him, and he had to read it over and over again to make sure he was reading it right.   
  
"What is it?" asked Nick.   
  
"It's Eddie Willows."   
  
TBC... 


	4. Road to Truth

"Search for the Truth" part 3   
  
By Rita Widmer   
  
All pertinent information is in the prologue. Thanks for all the review and continue enjoying! Thanks again to Angie for betaing!  
  
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"Eddie Willows? How can that be? He's been dead for months," asked Nick.   
  
"Either we have the wrong person buried which I doubt since Catherine identified him, or that someone knew of this place and decided to keep living in it," answered Brass.   
  
"So who would know it was available and was able to keep the landlady from knowing someone else took over?"   
  
"I don't know, but I've got more questions for our lovely landlady."   
  
They soon found her again in her office going through papers.   
  
"What can I do for you?" wondered the landlady.   
  
"Has Eddie Willows kept up paying his rent?"   
  
"Awhile back he paid me a large amount trying to get out of his contract. Then soon after I got a note from him saying that he was going to stay, and just put the money for his future rent."   
  
"Do you still have that note?" asked Brass.   
  
"I might, but I don't know where it would be. If you give me time to search for it I'll call you if I find it."   
  
"That's fine. How much longer did he have on his paid rent?"   
  
"This month is paid for, but I would have expected payment on the first of next month."   
  
"Have you seen Eddie Willows since he gave you the payment?"   
  
"No, no. He's always kept to himself. I rarely heard a peep from him."   
  
"Did you ever see any visitors come in and out? Anyone visit him tonight?"   
  
"There used to be one girl that came regularly. I think his girlfriend. Tonight I don't think so, but I do have surveillance cameras on the outside of the building. You can take any that you need."   
  
Soon they had the videos they would need to go through. They went in search of Warrick, and found him near the windows of Eddie's apartment.   
  
"Find anything?" questioned Nick.   
  
"No sign of forced entry, so they both knew how to get in. Who rents the apartment?"   
  
"It's rented out to Eddie Willows. Just before he died he paid her a large amount of money to get out of his apartment contract. Then according to the landlady he changed his mind. She's going to try to find the note that he sent her telling the change."   
  
"Odd, so was it Eddie that made that change or was it the person that's been living here ever since? The cabinets are full of food so they were living here regularly."   
  
"We know Eddie made the payment since he gave it to the landlady in person so she saw him. She hasn't seen him since, but she knows there's been a regular girl stopping by. She assumed it was some girlfriend."   
  
"Unless it is the new renter."   
  
"The videos should give an answer to who's been coming in and out. When you are done here, Warrick, head over to Catherine's sister's home, and tell them what happened. Maybe they'll know more. Nick, you are coming with me to Catherine's place to check for evidence there," said Brass.   
  
************************************   
  
Warrick stood there in front of Nancy's door for a minute before he could gain the courage to knock. He watched, as if in slow motion, his hand go to the door. His hand softly hit it. Almost like it was afraid that it might actually do its purpose, and bring someone to the door. That was the problem, he didn't want to have to inform Nancy and Lindsey of what happened.   
  
He had no choice, but to awaken them. This time he rung the doorbell, and it wasn't long after that Nancy was at the door.   
  
"Warrick, what are you doing here so late? Aren't you supposed to be at work?" asked Nancy.   
  
"I'm sorry to bother you, but this has to do with work. May I come in?" asked Warrick.   
  
"Oh, of course. Sit down, can I get you something?"   
  
"I think I prefer to stand up, and no thanks, but you better sit down."   
  
Nancy did as she was told. "What does CSI want with me?"   
  
"We were called into a scene. Catherine had been found shot three times in a strange apartment. She was still alive when she was found."   
  
"Is she still alive?"   
  
"Grissom is with her, and will tell us if there was any status change. Nancy, I'm so sorry. We are going to do our best to find out who did this to her."   
  
"I know you will, Warrick, you and Gil will make sure of that. Lindsey needs to be told. Will you come with me to tell her? You would be able to answer her questions better then I can."   
  
Warrick stopped at the door of Lindsey's room leaving Nancy to wake up the little girl. He watched her nudge her awake and call her name.   
  
"Lindsey, you need to get up. Come on, we need to go visit your mother," said Nancy.   
  
"Mommy?" asked Lindsey sleepily.   
  
"Yes, your mom. She's been hurt, and she needs you."   
  
"Is she going to okay?"   
  
"Yes, she will be, but she needs you to be there for her. Lets get you dressed so Warrick can take us to the hospital."   
  
Warrick went back to the living room as Lindsey got dressed. Soon they both walked out of the room all set to go.   
  
Lindsey ran into his arms as she saw him. "Uncle Warrick, is mommy okay?"   
  
"She's going to be fine. She wouldn't want to leave you alone, now would she?"   
  
Lindsey gave a slight smile. "No she wouldn't."   
  
The car ride there was in silence as they all went into their own thoughts. Some similar and others different. Lindsey only stared out the window, not allowing her aunt to comfort her.   
  
Warrick was worried about her. She was hiding her feelings well from the others, but she seemed standoffish. As he looked into the mirror into the back, he noticed one tear fall down her face. Nancy and he shared a look that acknowledged that each was thinking the same thing.   
  
************************************   
  
The scene they met as they walked into the waiting room was one none they expected. Gil sat alone in a chair with his head in his hands. It was a broken man they saw in front of him.   
  
Lindsey ran over to him, and tried to put her little arms around him to comfort. Gil looked up at the people in front of him. His tear stained face shown back at them. He turned to Lindsey, and put his arms around her.   
  
"Uncle Gil, don't cry. Mommy won't leave us. She can't. She loves us," explained Lindsey.   
  
"But I'm afraid. There's nothing we can do to bring her back to us, but we'll find the man who did this to her. I promise you that."   
  
Those words seemed to comfort her for now. Warrick soon had to leave to go back to the lab leaving Gil, Nancy, and Lindsey to wait for news. Lindsey fell asleep on the couch soon after.   
  
There was only silence in the room until there was a scream from Lindsey in her sleep. "Mom, you have to get him. Its your job! You promised me that you would get him," cried Lindsey in her sleep.   
  
Lindsey was shaking as Nancy and Gil walked over to her. Nancy tried to wake her up, and when Lindsey woke up she flung herself into Nancy's arms.   
  
Crying, Lindsey went on, "Its all my fault. I told her... I told her...."   
  
TBC... 


	5. Answers or More Questions

"Search for the Truth" part 4 By Rita Widmer   
  
All pertinent information is in prologue. Again thank you for all the reviews! Spoilers: Lady Heather's Box   
  
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"I told her that I wouldn't forgive her ever if she didn't find Daddy's killer. I blamed her for not finding him. It was her job to find him. She does it every day! Why couldn't she do it for him?" cried Lindsey into Nancy's shoulder.   
  
Gil lifted Lindsey's head so she could look into his eyes. "I wouldn't let her. If we found your daddy's killer, and they found out your mom worked the case, he could have been set free. Sara did her best to find out who it was, but she couldn't. There was just not enough evidence."   
  
"That's not what Mommy said. She came home saying all kinds of bad words about Sara. She was so angry at her for not finding him. I never saw Mommy like that, and then later I heard her crying in her bed. I tried to stop her crying, but all she would say was she wasn't going to give up."   
  
Nancy and Gil shared a look. Could it be that Catherine had found the murderer, and he attacked her when she confronted him?   
  
"Lindsey, has your mommy been looking for him?" asked Nancy.   
  
"She wouldn't tell me anything, but I knew she was looking. She's been making a lot of phone calls to someone named Shuman."   
  
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Gil asked quietly.   
  
"I was afraid she would get into trouble since she was being so secretive about it. Should I have?"   
  
"You didn't know, sweety. Why don't you go back to sleep? Its going to be awhile before we see your mommy," answered Nancy.   
  
It took them awhile to get Lindsey to settle down to sleep. Gil slipped out of the waiting room to make a quick phone call.   
  
"Brown," Warrick answered his cell phone.   
  
"Warrick, Lindsey just informed us that Catherine has been looking for Eddie's murderer. Find out what you can about the murder suspects in his case, and where they are now, and see if you can find out about a man named Shuman. Catherine has been making a lot of phone calls to him recently."   
  
"Will do, Grissom. Any news on Catherine?"   
  
"She's still in surgery according to the last update. They're doing all they can to save her."   
  
"No news is better then bad news. Keep us updated. Nick and Brass are still at Catherine's house. Once Brass gets back I'll get him to get Catherine's phone records and I'll check her cell phone."   
  
"I'll keep you updated of any news, and keep me updated also on the case. Just because I'm here doesn't mean I shouldn't be informed."   
  
After good-byes, Gil went back to the waiting room to wait for more news.   
  
*************************************   
  
Sara looked around the hotel room. It looked like the room had been cleaned up by housekeeping, but they forgot to notice the body was lying there. The room didn't look lived in at all. There was only a purse lying on the dresser.   
  
Nothing seemed right about the scene. There was a medicine bottle in her purse that she could have taken to overdose on, but who would take the time to hide away the medicine bottle after taking it.   
  
The victim had laid like she was just sleeping when she had walked into the scene. There had been no sign of disharmony on her face. It took Sara awhile to place the victim, but her license told her who was lying there. It was Candeece Hogan from the Eddie Willows murder case.   
  
Checking with the front desk confirmed her fear that Candeece had not just come to register to die. Someone else had checked her in, and it only added to the mystery of the scene in front of her. The man had signed in by the name Eddie Willows.   
  
'Could Candeece Hogan know two Eddie Willows or was it all a set up?' Sara thought.   
  
She couldn't find any suicide note, but the notepad the hotel provided showed an old scribbled outline. That may have been from the victim. She continued through the room hoping to find evidence that would link it to a suicide or help find the murderer.   
  
*************************************   
  
Warrick and Nick were sitting in the A/V lab going through the different surveillance tapes they had collected at the crime scene. The tapes before Eddie Willows death showed him going in and out frequently, but they had no way of telling of who was visiting him or not.   
  
The tapes afterwards showed many regulars going in and out, but again they were stuck on who was actually entering Eddie Willows' apartment. They were hoping to find somebody they recognized either through Catherine or Eddie Willows' murder case.   
  
It wasn't until towards the end of the tapes someone actually looked up into the cameras that seemed familiar. Stopping the tapes they got pictures of the face looking up at them. They were hoping that she would be the answer to solving their friend's attack.   
  
Sara walked in at this time just getting back from her crime scene. She saw the woman that they had been studying.   
  
"Hey Sara, do you recognize this woman? She seems familiar, but we can't seem to place her," asked Nick.   
  
"She's the victim at the Circus, Circus that I just got back from investigating. That's Candeece Hogan, and the main murder suspect in the Eddie Willows' case."   
  
"She just became the main suspect in our new case."   
  
"Hate to burst your bubbles, but Candeece had no signs of any confrontation nor any gun residue on her hands. How could she have been part of a murder just before dying herself?"   
  
"Its not murder yet. We are still waiting on word on Catherine's condition from Grissom. If this is the woman that attacked her we will find out," said Warrick.   
  
"Catherine? As in our Catherine?"   
  
"We thought you had been informed. Catherine is in the hospital having been shot twice in the chest and once in the arm," answered Nick.   
  
Sara was about to answer when her pager went off. "Doc wants to see me. He just got done with the autopsy." Sara left the room.   
  
Nick and Warrick continued watching the surveillance tapes to check for anyone else. Having any luck, they moved onto the tape from tonight. They watched as Catherine entered the apartment building alone.  
  
She kept looking around like she was watching for someone. Soon she gave up and went inside the building. There was no question in Nick and Warrick's mind that Catherine was nervous about her meeting.  
  
"So who was she meeting?" asked Nick.  
  
"Either the person is in there already, or they will come on later in the tape," answered Warrick.  
  
They continued to watch as people came in and left. They took pictures of anyone that looked suspicious going in. The tape all of a suddenly went black on them. The tape continued as they watched hoping it would come back.   
  
When the screen came back to the front of the building, it was only to see Brass and the police entering the building.  
  
"Someone tampered with the tape?!" cried Warrick in frustration.  
  
"They knew we would get these tapes and look for the attacker. When could they have done it?"  
  
"It must have been the landlady. She was apart of this the whole time."  
  
Sara walked in with the results from the autopsy. "Doc came to the conclusion that Candeece has been dead for at least 24 hours. I'm still waiting on tox for answers to if she killed herself with her medicine or not."  
  
"So Candeece couldn't have done it, but we know she's been visiting the apartment. She visited almost every day." stated Nick.  
  
"Could Catherine have been expecting her tonight?" questioned Sara.  
  
"It looks like Catherine is the only one that could answer that question," answered Nick.  
  
"Unless Shuman knows more. We still haven't found him," said Warrick.  
  
"Could he be the one playing Eddie Willows?" asked Sara.  
  
TBC... 


	6. Love, Pain, and More

"Search for the Truth" part 5/7  
  
By Rita Widmer  
  
All pertinent information is in the prologue. Thanks again for all the reviews. Keep on enjoying, and I promise you some C/G moments coming soon.  
  
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"Would she be continually calling him if it was him playing Eddie?" questioned Nick. "He has some role in this, but what is it?"  
  
"There's only one way to find out," interrupted Brass as he walked in. "We were able to get Catherine's phone bill, and found his number. I was able to also get his address, and dug up some information on him. He's an ex-policeman turned private investigator."  
  
"So he was working with Catherine to try to solve Eddie's murder?" Warrick inquired.  
  
"There's no proof of that, but its a safe bet. Warrick, you'll come with me to talk to him. The rest of you look into the doings of our suspects from Eddie's murder. If Catherine found anything to implicate either one they might have tried to stop her," continued Brass.  
  
"We've narrowed that down to one person. Candeece Hogan has been dead for the last 24 hours according to the autopsy so there is no way she could have attacked Catherine. Though it doesn't leave out the possibility she killed Eddie. I'm waiting for the tox results to find out if it was her medicine that killed her or not. I haven't been able to prove if it was a case of suicide or murder," said Sara.  
  
"Then that leaves Kiner. Find out where he is, and bring him in for an interrogation. Hopefully finding Eddie's killer will find Catherine's attacker. Lets get to work," finished Brass.  
  
************************************  
  
Gil sat watching Lindsey sleeping. He was letting his mind wonder from the situation before him to the little girl in front of him. The anguish she was going through after first losing her father, and now maybe her mother. She blamed herself for her mother's attack, and he didn't have any idea on how to deal with that.  
  
Her face still had dried tear marks on her face from her earlier outburst. He never knew what to do in times like these when the people he cared about needed comforting. It was always easier to let someone else take over that job.   
  
He felt a hand on his shoulder breaking him from his pondering. "Do you think she'll be all right?" Gil asked still looking at Lindsey.  
  
"She'll be if the people she loves stays near her. She needs all the love she can get right now. She doesn't understand why the people she loves are being taken away from her."  
  
"No matter what happens, she'll have me and the rest of the CSI gang. They love her just as much as they do Catherine."  
  
"You love them both a lot?"  
  
Gil looked up at her, surprised at her question. He opened his mouth to deny it, but no words would come out. Instead he looked away hoping to ignore answering her question.  
  
"If it's any consolation, they both love you too," continued Nancy.  
  
Gil was saved this time from answering as the doctor walked in. The doctor's face showed no emotion one way or another telling them what happened.  
  
"Is she all right?" asked Nancy.  
  
"She survived through the surgery. We were able to fix the damage done, but one bullet had hit her lung. She is only at about 70% lung capacity right now. That will take time to heal. She's not out of danger, but she is a fighter. The next 48 hours will be critical to see how she progresses. We'll keep her on oxygen to allow for the most oxygen to get into her body."  
  
"When can we see her?" asked Gil.  
  
"Not for another couple of hours at least. She needs to heal so we are keeping her sedated. I recommend all of you to go home, and get some sleep and food before you become patients yourself."  
  
Gil stood up to protest. He wanted to see her now. He had to see for himself that she was still on this Earth with him. Searching for a reason to see her, he finally came up with an idea.  
  
"Doctor, I'm with CSI. I need to check the patient for evidence of her attack. The sooner I get that evidence the sooner we can find the person who did this to her," argued Gil.  
  
The doctor looked at the older man in front of him. He knew he was just trying to find a reason to see her, but he had a good argument.  
  
"I'll need to see your badge before I let you in. Then you are allowed to go in, and take evidence and then come right back out. You can spend personal time with her once she is awake."  
  
He quickly showed the doctor his tag, and then turned to Nancy who was waking up Lindsey. "I'll call you if I hear anything about Catherine. I'm going to collect any evidence there is, and then take it to the lab," Gil said softly.  
  
"I'm going to take Lindsey home. I need to get my kid off to school, and I'll make sure its all right for Lindsey to miss school." With Lindsey in her arms, she headed to the door. Turning around to look at Gil again, she said, "Thank you."  
  
"I wouldn't be anywhere else at this moment. Now go home and get some rest." He followed her out to get his box for collecting evidence before heading to Catherine's room.  
  
Gil stood outside of Cath's room. The fear of what he would see in that room had stopped him dead in his tracks. He knew there wasn't much evidence he would be able to find, but he needed all he could get.   
  
He opened the door, and the sight in front of him brought tears to his eyes. All the machines hooked up to her proved to him that she was still there. His whole being wanted to run to her and hold her, but he couldn't.   
  
Taking a deep breath, he got to work checking for any evidence. There wasn't much to see, but he found a small trace of skin tissue under her nails. Collecting it, he put it in an evidence bag.   
  
Though he was warned to only collect evidence, he sat down in a chair and held onto her hand. He lifted it up to his lips and kissed it softly. Before letting go, he leaned over and whispered the three words he had been holding inside of him for years.   
  
"I love you."  
  
He heard the door open behind him warning him the doctor came in. He stood up after putting her hand down softly on the bed. The doctor had a stern look on his face.  
  
"I'm sorry. I just needed to..." Gil's voice faded off as he tried to find the words to express his need.  
  
The doctor decided to leave it at that, and went on to explain what he found during surgery. Nothing was helpful for the case, and Gil went on his way to leave for the lab knowing he would be notified as soon as she woke up.  
  
************************************  
  
Brass and Warrick walked up the stairs to Shuman's apartment. They waited for him to answer, and it finally revealed a short little man.  
  
"Can I help you?" asked Shuman.  
  
"Are you Hal Shuman?" asked Brass.  
  
"Yes, and who are you?"   
  
"I'm Jim Brass and this is Warrick Brown. We work for CSI. We believe you knew one of our colleagues."  
  
"Oh yes, Catherine Willows. We were investigating her ex-husband's death."  
  
"You were?" asked Warrick.  
  
"She fired me a week ago. She said that she was being threatened and blackmailed to stop her investigation."  
  
TBC... 


	7. Captured

"Search for the Truth" part 6/7  
  
By Rita Widmer  
  
All pertinent information in the prologue. Thanks again for all the reviews and enjoy!  
  
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"So the killer was blackmailing Catherine to stop her investigation?" asked Nick.  
  
"Did I say that? No, no it was that lady. What's her name? Really odd name Sandy, Candy, or oh I know Candeece. She felt the charges against her would ruin her singing career. She wrote Ms. Willows that if she dropped those charges against her then she would tell her who the killer was," answered Shuman.   
  
"Did you have any murder suspects? Do you have any of the blackmail notes?" questioned Brass.  
  
"We were looking very closely at both Candeece and then a man named Kiner. Strange man. There just didn't seem something right about him. I can give you any information that we had collected during the investigation. Though you're going to have to wait until the morning so I can get it out of the safety deposit box."  
  
"That's fine, Mr. Shuman. If you could pick it up in the morning, and drop it off at this address for us. We would be thankful," said Brass, handing over his card.  
  
"So again we are left with Kiner. What I really don't get is why he would do it? Hopefully when we bring in Kiner for interrogation, we can get something from him. Otherwise we are going to have to depend on mostly Catherine for evidence," pondered aloud to Brass as he left Shuman's home.  
  
"We need to find out what gun was used or type then if we can identify it to one our suspects. Plus it would help if the guns were the same in both cases. It will be another connection between Eddie Willows' murder and Catherine's attacker. Any good defense attorney could try to make a case that Catherine probably many enemies after all her years at CSI, and why couldn't it be one of them. We need solid evidence that it is the same person. Especially if Catherine struggles to remember what happened that night and who was the attacker."  
  
"That is a possibility after all she's been through. The defense could use any sign of weakness to build up on the chances it really wasn't the defendant. He also could get off for both if one is not proven beyond a reasonable doubt."  
  
************************************  
  
The reflection before him was not the man that had come to work that day, but a man he almost didn't recognize. This was a man that had finally opened up his heart to only fear what that would do to him. This was no longer a man that kept a secret all to himself for over 15 years reflected back at him. He had opened up his heart for what may become the greatest days of his life, or for years of loneliness. Time would only tell, and he would not press for the answer. There would be time for that.   
  
On the other side of that window sat another man. A man who might have taken away the most precious thing in his life. Deep down he knew that this was the man who attacked Catherine Willows. His eyes seemed to squint at Warrick Brown as he went on interrogating him. Kiner kept refusing to answer his questions.  
  
There were so many questions left to be answered. He had no idea where to start, and if he would like the answers he would receive. The fury he felt for the person that attacked Cath was so strong that if he ever was left alone with him he knew the man would not come out alive.  
  
He had been kept so far out of the loop since the case began, he didn't really know where they stood. As of now, the man in the interrogation room was their most likely suspect. He had been interrogated for Eddie's murder and the evidence once again points to him. The likeliness, he felt, that their were two different criminals was too miniscule to even consider.  
  
His phone ringing brought him out of his reverie. The number was not one he recognized, but it could be the hospital so he quickly answered.  
  
"Grissom."  
  
"Hi Mr. Grissom, this is Catherine's doctor. She is starting to wake up, but she'll be drowsy for awhile" replied the doctor.  
  
"Thanks, how is she doing?"  
  
"Everything is looking fine for the condition she is in. I won't make you any promises on the outcome, but I have high hopes for her."  
  
"Thank you, I'll be there in 20 minutes," Gil hung up as he prepared to get ready to go back.  
  
************************************  
  
Inside the interrogation room sat a very frustrated man. No matter what Warrick Brown said or did seemed to provoke a response from their only suspect. He could feel Grissom's eyes watching them behind the window. The tension in the room could have been cut by a knife.  
  
He decided he needed a new tactic with this man. With a few guesses here and there added with the facts that he did know maybe he could persuade this guy he was actually on his side, and couldn't blame him for doing it.  
  
He silently apologized to Catherine for the words that would follow. He knew she would understand his tactics and know it isn't his true feelings.  
  
"You know, Kiner, I really can't blame you for wanting to attack Catherine Willows. I've been working with her for years. She thinks she's this almighty woman who can do whatever she wants, and should worshipped for all she has gone through. There have been times that goddess like personality has made me want to go after her and attack her."  
  
Warrick watched as the man narrowed his eyes at him like he was trying to figure out if he meant his words. He would not give the man satisfaction by showing that he was lying through his teeth. He was a gambler after all, and knew how to keep his personal feelings to himself.  
  
"You only killed Eddie, because you knew how much that would hurt Catherine. You wanted her for yourself. There was no better punishment to serve her, and you took the opportunity. You used his girlfriend to become another suspect so we couldn't prove either of you beyond a reasonable doubt. All along you were planning to get to Catherine."  
  
The next moment caught Warrick totally off guard as the man in front of him stormed at him. Kiner's fingers went for Warrick's neck as he took out all his rage on him. Warrick felt almost helpless as the man's strength and rage was too much for him to beat off.  
  
"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! You couldn't leave her alone, and let me have my way. Eddie stole her heart from me, and I was left with nothing. All I wanted was to have her. Is that so much to ask? You forced me to take action. She was going to tell your precious little Catherine the whole truth. Can you believe it? The woman I love wanted to tattle on me. After getting rid of Candeece, I knew there was still one missing link to get rid of. Catherine needed to go away."   
  
Just as Warrick felt consciousness leave him, he heard the door open behind him. The next few moments went by quickly in front of his eyes as he struggled to keep conscious. There was nothing more to do. Kiner had just admitted to all the crimes. They had the man.   
  
************************************  
  
Catherine Willows watched as Gil Grissom walked slowly into her room. She could see the signs of lack of sleep and worry had done to him written all over his face. As he noticed that she was awake, he gave her a brilliant crooked smile.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hi."  
  
They both had so much to say, but nothing would come out of their mouths. Catherine was the first to be able to speak.  
  
"How are you doing? I hope you didn't have too crazy a night at CSI."  
  
"Its always more crazy when you aren't around, and you have the whole team worried about you. They are going beyond duty to try to find your attacker."  
  
"I could have saved the trouble. I know the man that attacked me."  
  
Gil's eye went to the floor before answering. "We didn't know if you would make it."  
  
"I have you to thank for making sure that I didn't give up. I'm here to tell my story. I highly doubt I will ever forget what happened." Catherine's mind slipped back to the events that had led them here.  
  
TBC... 


	8. Endings and Beginnings

"Search for the Truth" part 7/7  
  
By Rita Widmer  
  
Here's the last part everybody! Enjoy and please review! It has been a fun journey. Thank again for all the reviews and encouragement I have received. All the other important stuff is in the prologue. Thanks to Lauri for betaing.  
  
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'She slowly walked up the sidewalk towards the apartment building. Double checking to make sure she had the right address, she went up to the door. The dread and fear she was feeling inside slowed her steps. Something was not right, but she knew she had no choice but to go through with the meeting with Candeece Hogan.  
  
After much thought, she knew she had only one choice, but to follow through with Candeece's blackmailing and drop the charges. If it found Eddie's murderer it would sooth any guilt of not charging her with child abandonment.  
  
After months of private investigation nothing had come up to help her solve his murder and bring it to Gil's attention to reopen the case. Candeece was her only hope to solving, and she was going to take it.  
  
She walked into the building looking at the different room numbers to find the right one. Stopping at the right room, she knocked, and waited for an answer. No one came to the door. Trying the doorknob, she found it unlocked and she went in not knowing what she would find.  
  
Deciding to wait to see if Candeece was just running behind at an appointment, she put her purse down on the side table. She started out at the couch, but found herself unable to stay sitting.  
  
The door squawking open made her jump. She turned around with the words Candeece on her tongue. The man who stood before her was not who she expected. His eyes were filled with rage like nothing she ever saw before.  
  
He was slowly walking towards her, his eyes digging into her own leaving her in a trance unable to move like in a nightmare. Her feet though started to move backwards, but he kept following. In the back of her mind, she heard her purse falling over and dumping its products onto the floor below. Her eyes left his for a moment to watch them role across the floor in between them. It was then she noticed the gun in his hand.  
  
She slowly tried to change her direction of her walking so not to startle him into realizing what she was trying to do. Her only hope was to get near the door and run out yelling trying to get somebody's attention.  
  
A mislaid item though stood in her path of escape. Not noticing the fallen item she fell backwards onto her butt, landing hard. At any other time she would have felt embarrassed by her fall, but all she could feel was anger at herself for not paying attention to the floor around her.  
  
"Stand up," he snarled as he heaved her up to a standing position using her hair. With his other hand he drew up the gun to her chest. Once she was standing again he let go of her hair. "You're going to die all alone like Candeece. She died for betraying me by going to you, and you will die for your faithfulness to your ex-husband. Did you really think he ever loved you? He loved every woman out there, but never you. You were there for only sex, baby, only for the sex. Your loyalty to him will bring the end of you, and no one will miss you, deary."  
  
All the time he was talking, he continually pushed her towards the back wall with his gun. As his speech finished with a grisly laugh, he heaved at her hard, and she became aware of the wall coming up to meet her. She looked up at him with her eyes pleading for him to end it. The sound of the first bullet storming out of the gun could be heard, and a moment later the second came zooming at her.  
  
She could feel the pain as the bullets burned through her chest. The pain was nothing she ever felt before, and by the shallowness of her breath she knew it had hit a lung.  
  
Again he picked her up by the hair, and threw her across to the opposite wall. He watched her with a face of victory like he had just won a war. His feet quickly swirled back towards the door. Catherine took her chance and used the wall to propel herself up ready to jump at him.   
  
He turned around and gave her a smug smile as he lifted up his gun, and shot her again. With that last bullet she felt the last of her energy leaving her and she fell to the ground.  
  
************************************  
  
Gil watched her closely as she came back from her story to the now. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. All he wanted to do at that moment was to hold her in his arms tightly, and comfort the pain away. A hug in her condition would have only caused her more physical pain. He settled for taking one of her hands into his while the other wiped the tears from her face.   
  
"Thank you, Gil," she whispered to him. "You saved my life."  
  
"I couldn't let you die on me. I probably broke every driving law out there tonight trying to get to you. You scared me when you passed out while I was still on the phone." His own tears were welling up in his eyes but he willed them away.  
  
She looked away from him and closed her eyes. All that was left was the beeping of the machines surrounding her.  
  
The door swishing open startled them both. Turning toward the door, Gil expected the doctor to be standing there, but was happily surprised to see Nancy and Lindsey standing there.  
  
"May we come in?" asked Nancy.   
  
"Of course," answered Gil, getting out of the chair to give so one of them could sit down.   
  
Nancy walked in expecting that Lindsey would follow her, or even go running up to her mom ahead of her. Lindsey, though, was still standing at the door.  
  
"Lindsey, come here," said Catherine. "It's all right. I'm going to get better."  
  
She walked slowly up to the bed. Catherine reached out with her uninjured arm to left her face up towards her own. The tears in her child's eyes brought her own tears back.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mommy. This is all my fault. I wanted you to find daddy's killer, but I didn't want you to get hurt."  
  
"Its not your fault. I made the choice to go after him. I'm your mother, I can say no to you. I wanted to find Daddy's killer just as much as you did. Uncle Grissom told me before that they caught him so he won't hurt anyone ever again. Now sit down on that chair and you're going to tell me what you did while I was gone," said Catherine needing breaths every few words.  
  
The door closing again brought up her eyes away from Lindsey. Her sister and Gil had left to give them the privacy they needed.  
  
At the end of Lindsey's story, Lindsey bent over to whisper in Catherine's ear. "I think Uncle Grissom loves you, Mommy. He's never your left your side unless they forced him too."  
  
Catherine felt the blush creep up her face at her girl's words. 'So those whispered words were real,' she thought to herself.  
  
The door opened again to reveal Gil and Nancy. "Sorry to interrupt, but the nurse says we need to let you rest. We'll be back tomorrow," said Nancy. She left with a hold of Lindsey who didn't want to leave yet but said her goodbyes.   
  
"Warrick, Nick, Sara, and Greg will come by tomorrow to visit you. They've been worried sick about you," said Gil.  
  
"And you?"   
  
"Wouldn't miss it for the world. Now get some rest so you can handle having a conversation with them tomorrow." He bent down and kissed her cheek before leaving the room. She was asleep before the door even clicked shut.  
  
************************************  
  
Warrick was the first one to pop his head in the door the next morning. Catherine greeted him with a smile as he walked in. As he came closer she noticed the faint bruising on his neck, and she pointed at it as if to question.  
  
"Just from a little run in with a suspect's hands. Don't worry our fellow CSIs quickly came to my rescue," Warrick answered her silent question.  
  
"Kiner did this to you?"  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"I can tell when you are being evasive with me. There is no other reason for your trying."  
  
"I might have to rethink my tactics with you. I'm getting way too easy to read."  
  
It was the laughter that greeted Nick as he walked into the room carrying a big bouquet of Calla Lillies. Her smile lightened up the room like no other could as she saw the flowers.   
  
"Thank you, Nicky."  
  
"It's no problem. I'm just glad that you are back with us. We were all scarred last night waiting for news on how you were doing."  
  
"Especially Gil," continued Warrick. "He spent most of last night here waiting for news of any kind they could give. What little time he spent away was after he was ordered to leave by the doctor."  
  
Catherine was stunned at the last piece of news. She knew he had come to visit her in her dreams, but didn't imagine him having stayed there all night. She figured that he would have been out trying to solve her case or another case.  
  
"I think he has come to his senses," said Warrick winking at her.  
  
It wasn't long after that they both needed to head back home, and though she was happy to see them she was happy for the break. Her lungs were still hurting badly from the bullet burning into them, and talking only made it worse.  
  
She allowed her medicine to let her fall asleep once again hoping that when she woke up that Gil would be sitting there.  
  
A few hours later, Catherine woke up to not find Gil, but to find Sara waiting patiently for her. The woman sitting next to her seemed to be in her own world as she contemplated something.  
  
"Sara?" choked Catherine.  
  
Her eyes turned to her then. They were filled with a mixture of relief, a little sadness, and a sign of some kind revelation.  
  
"I wanted to believe that I did my best to solve your husband's murder. I sat at home at night's wondering what I could have missed in the investigation. What more I could have done? I hoped that one day new evidence would come forward so you could bring a closure to all that happened," said Sara with a sigh.  
  
"As I spent time trying to find the killer, I realized just how difficult it was for you. I wanted to believe that his case would be solvable, and it was not your fault for not finding the answer. I'm sorry, Sara, for not trusting your skills. I don't think I ever let myself see you just as you are, and not some old friend of Gil's. I let my jealousy stand in my way of ever getting to know you."  
  
"For quite a long time, I wanted to believe there was no competition in getting Gil. It would only be a matter of time before he would be able to open up and let me in his life. That all changed last night. I found out that I never had a chance with him. His heart always belonged to you though you both never realized it."  
  
"You tried once to move on from him, and you can do it again. I warn you though I'm planning on getting him to talk about him and me when he comes back to visit. A thank you is needed also. Warrick told me how you stuck to the apparent suicide case last night and fought to prove it as murder. Now Kiner can be tried for murder for both Eddie and Candeece."   
  
"I'm a stickler for cases like that. You know the impossible ones to find the real answers."  
  
"They give us a challenge. It reminds us that it is not all the same from one case to another."  
  
"And that would make our job way too easy if they were all the same. Speaking of work I still need to head home before heading off, but Gil should be here soon," Sara smiled at Catherine before heading out the door.  
  
Catherine was all prepared for Gil's reappearance in her room. She was going to get him to open up if it killed her. 'Oops, not a very good choice of words there,' she thought to herself.  
  
She watched as he tried to quietly enter her room so not to disturb her if she was asleep.   
  
"No need to sneak around, Gil."  
  
"I went through all that work for nothing?"  
  
"Of course, all you had to do was check to see if I was awake first, and as a CSI man you should have checked all the evidence first."  
  
Gil laughed at that one. When it came to Catherine, he seemed to always forget those darn little details of work.  
  
"You got me there. So have you dug up on any dirt on what's going on around here?"  
  
"Actually I have. There seems to be this man that's been sticking around all last night and into the morning over a woman. He happens to be a coworker of the patient, but there is no sign of anything more until a nurse overhears him tell the girl while she is unconscious that he loves her."  
  
"Interesting case. Do I know any of these people?"  
  
"It just happens you do. You are the man, and as you can see I'm the patient. Oh by the way, I love you too. Now get your butt off to work so you can bring Lindsey before school to come visit me."  
  
"I love you," he said slowly savoring the words coming out of his mouth. "And I will bring Lindsey to see you. She misses you terribly." He kissed her softly on the lips and left the room with a great big smile on his face, whispering a soft good night to her just before the door shut.  
  
'That wasn't as hard as I thought it would be," she thought as she dreamt of the future. It would be theirs.  
  
The End 


End file.
